Ethan Moore

Throughout my time at Cornell, I have heard many people say that college students should study abroad at some point during their undergraduate careers. Before participating in the ILR/UCD Semester in Dublin Program, I was largely indifferent to the whole idea and believed that I would not have any regrets if I passed on studying abroad. After all, I grew up in Milwaukee, WI and the farthest I had been from home for an extended period of time was Ithaca, NY. To me, attending Cornell was studying abroad. Now, however, looking back at my experience in Ireland, I am very glad that I chose to go.

The classes that I took at UCD were an interesting experience in and of itself. The classes gave me a different view on the field of industrial and labor relations and the various issues from both a European and global context. The diversity of the students in the classroom also added to the educational experience.

During my time outside of the classroom, I was able to do some traveling around Ireland and to other countries in Europe. I was also able to make new friends, many of whom were from different parts of the world. Almost all of them spoke more than one language. My time spent with them encouraged me to learn another language as well.

My experiences inside and outside of the classroom were both beneficial and once in a lifetime opportunities. Brigid Beachler was very supportive and this contributed greatly to our overall experience. If I had the chance to do it all over again, I definitely would!

- Ethan Moore, UCD 2011, ILR 2013